New Advances on Zika Virus Research

Dear Colleagues,

Zika virus (ZIKV), which belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae, causes Zika fever in humans. ZIKV infection of the central nervous system is associated with various neurological disorders, including congenital microcephaly, meningoencephalitis, and Guillain–Barré syndrome. ZIKV is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. ZIKV infection was first observed in monkeys in Uganda in 1947. The first cases of hwere identified in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania in 1952, and sporadic cases were recorded in Africa and Asia during the 1960s to 1980s. Remarkably, an outbreak of ZIKV infection occurred in the Island of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, in 2007, resulting in an estimated 5000 infections. This was followed by large outbreaks in French Polynesia in 2013 and other countries and territories in the Pacific and Brazil in 2015. So far, more than 80 countries and territories have reported evidence of Zika infections. Currently, there is no approved vaccine or treatment for ZIKV infection and, thus, the development of a vaccine and drugs for ZIKV infection is of significant priority for clinical care in endemic areas. Protection against bites of the vector mosquito is a key measure for preventing Zika virus infection and, thus, it is important to eliminate Aedes mosquito breeding sites. In consideration of this, an epidemiological survey of ZIKV distribution based on mosquito vectors will provide useful information in endemic areas. This Special Issue focuses on the recent research on ZIKV, including regarding pathogenesis, molecular biology, the development of vaccines and antiviral agents, and virus properties that can serve as useful targets for inactivation.

Dr. Daisuke Hayasaka
Guest Editor

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